TOP Analysis, Prognoses and News about Greek - Albanian Relations and the Region.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Tirana: "Thorough investigation of Kareli's death"
29/03/2014

After an Albanian prisoner killed a Greek prison guard, father of two,
and after the prisoner died of internal injuries caused by beating, the
Albanian Foreign Ministry reacted with a press release:

“We want to express our
condolences for the tragic losses of the prison guard, Jorgos Cironis,
and the Albanian prisoner, who was serving his sentence in this prison.
The Foreign Ministry has asked our embassy in Athens and our consulate
in Thessalonica to watch this matter closely”, the reaction says.

The Ministry declared that they are waiting for the coroner’s report, which could give a better view of the case.

“The
Ministry condemns the attacks against law enforcing authorities, and
every attack against Albanian citizens who serve their sentences in the
Greek prisons. We encourage the Greek authorities to continue with a
thorough investigation and bring those who are responsible to justice”,
the reaction says.

The defendant’s mother: “They never allowed me to meet him”

The mother of Ilia Kareli declared that she has never been allowed to see her son since 1997, when he was imprisoned.

She
said she had traveled to Greece in very bad health conditions, only to
meet her son in prison, but she was never allowed to see him.

“They
never allowed me to meet him. His deep despair led him to that crime.
He deserved to be punished, but not to be beaten to death. He made
requests to meet me but they never allowed him. I don’t think there was
another reason why he did this”, she says.

The former prime minister Sali Berisha accused again Mr. Rama and Mr.
Meta for blocking the EU integration process of Albania. According to
him, the fact that the government does not respect the laws, fight
against crime and corruption and lack of implementing the necessary
reforms lead to a negative response from the EU countries.

“The PM attacked those countries that votes against granting Albania the
candidate status. Edi Rama accused these countries for being extremists
and for suffering from Islamophobia, but this kind of talking is
unacceptable for our partners and for also for the Albanian people”,
says Berisha.

The accusations made from Rama would soon get the answers from German
chancellor, Angela Merkel and UK PM, David Cameron and Mark Rutte
continues the ex Prime Minister. Albania did not get the EU candidate
status because she needs more results in fight against crime and
corruption, implementing reforms etc.

Russia's
Vladimir Putin has telephoned President Barack Obama to discuss the US
proposal for a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine.

Mr Obama suggested that Russia put a concrete response in writing, the White House said in a statement.
According to the Kremlin, Mr Putin suggested examining how the situation could be stabilised.
Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine has sparked international condemnation.
In the hour-long phone call, the US president urged Mr Putin to avoid the build-up of forces on the Russian border with Ukraine.
The two leaders agreed that their foreign ministers would meet soon to discuss the next steps.
The US proposal, developed in consultation with Ukraine and
other European countries, includes the deployment of international
monitors to protect the rights of Russian speakers in Crimea, and the
return of Russian troops there to their bases.
Mr Obama received Mr Putin's call in Saudi Arabia - the
latest leg of a trip which also took the US president to Europe where
the Ukraine crisis dominated discussions.
The Kremlin said in a statement that the Russian president
drew Mr Obama's attention to "the continued rampage of extremists" in
Kiev and various regions of Ukraine.
Mr Putin suggested examining possible steps the global
community could take to help stabilise the situation, the Kremlin
statement said.

President Putin welcomed military leaders to the Kremlin on Friday

Meanwhile in New York, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
said he had been assured by President Putin that the Russian leader "had
no intention to make any military move".
Russia's reported troop movements near Ukraine's eastern
border - described as a "huge military build-up" by Nato - has triggered
fears that Mr Putin's interest in Ukraine is not limited to Crimea.
The BBC's North America Editor, Mark Mardell, said Friday
night's phone call could indicate tentative progress towards a
diplomatic solution - just when fears were growing in the West that
Russia could be about to stage an invasion of eastern Ukraine.
The US and its allies have imposed sanctions on members of Mr
Putin's inner circle, and threatened to take action to target the
Russian economy, in response to Moscow's actions in Crimea.

Obama urges Putin to 'de-escalate the situation'

While Moscow has said the soldiers are merely involved in military
manoeuvres, fears are growing in Washington that preparations may be
under way for fresh incursions into parts of eastern Ukraine in the wake
of the annexation earlier this month of Crimea. US officials believe
that the positions of the troops are being deliberately concealed and
that supply lines for a possible invasion have already been established.
President
Barack Obama told CBS News that he could not tell what Moscow’s
intentions are and urged the Kremlin to pull its troops back to
“de-escalate the situation”. The massing of its soldiers may “be an
effort to intimidate Ukraine or it may be [that Russia] has additional
plans,” he said.
The Pentagon believes that roughly 50,000 Russian
soldiers may now be in position in Crimea itself and along Ukraine’s
eastern border. Such a force could be used for lightning strikes into
parts of eastern Ukraine which have large Russian populations.
Mr
Obama attributed the taking of Crimea, which has triggered the worst
East-West stand-off since the Cold War, to a long-festering sulk on the
part of Mr Putin. “I think he’s been willing to show a deeply held
grievance about what he considers to be the loss of the Soviet Union,”
Mr Obama said as he left Rome for Saudi Arabia after days of meetings in
Europe dominated by discussions of the crisis.
“You would have
thought that after a couple of decades there’d be an awareness on the
part of any Russian leader that the path forward is not to revert back
to the kinds of practices that were so prevalent during the Cold War,”
Mr Obama added, “but in fact to move forward with further integration
with the world economy and to be a responsible international citizen.”Vladimir Putin meets newly promoted
officers yesterday from the Russian armed forces, which he praised for
their role in Crimea (Getty Images)Any further land-grabs by Mr Putin would be in spite of efforts by
Mr Obama and the EU to isolate him diplomatically and financially.
Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, said Moscow should heed the easy
passage on Thursday of a UN General Assembly resolution condemning the
taking of Crimea, even if it had no legal teeth.
The St
Petersburg-based Bank Rossiya conceded publicly that it had been forced
to give up all its foreign-currency business and execute only
rouble-expressed transactions as a result of US sanctions directed
against it because of the Crimea annexation. The US Congress meanwhile
is expected early next week to pass a new law extending $1bn in loan
guarantees to Ukraine and new sanctions on Russia.
Russian Foreign
Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said that Moscow has taken
“retaliatory measures” to Western sanctions, “which are largely
tit-for-tat”. He wouldn’t elaborate on the new targets.
In a
Kremlin ceremony meanwhile, Mr Putin celebrated the taking of Crimea.
“The recent events in Crimea were a serious test,” Mr Putin was seen
declaring on state television. “They demonstrated both the completely
new capabilities of our armed forces and the high morale of the
personnel.”
The US State Department has played down suggestions by
Ukraine’s ambassador to the US that as many as 100,000 Russian soldiers
now threaten his country. But Washington accepts that the numbers are
none the less growing.

Russia "astonished" by Obama's version of Kosovo UDI

MOSCOW -- Russia said on Friday it was "astonished"
by a statement made by U.S. President Barack Obama concerning the
unilateral declaration of Kosovo's independence.

(Tanjug, file)

Obama
told a gathering in Brussels earlier this week that the ethnic Albanian
proclamation, made in 2008, was preceded by "a referendum," and that
this referendum was carried out "in cooperation with the UN and
neighboring countries."
Obama's speech was meant to accuse
Russia of distorting the facts related to Crimea when that country cited
the Kosovo case as a precedent.

The UDI, made by the assembly
of its southern province, was rejected by Serbia as unconstitutional,
while Russia refused to recognize it. The United States, however, were
among the first countries to recognize the territory as independent.

"Kosovo only left Serbia after a referendum was organized not outside
the boundaries of international law, but in careful cooperation with the
United Nations and with Kosovo’s neighbors. None of that even came
close to happening in Crimea," the U.S. president said in his speech at
Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels.

He also said that NATO's
1999 war against Serbia was launched "only after the people of Kosovo
were systematically abused and killed for years."

“This claim
on the part of the U.S. president causes astonishment since there was no
plebiscite in Kosovo, all the more so a plebiscite coordinated with the
international community,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said, and added:

“A decision of breaking away from Serbia was taken by
'parliament' in Priština in 2008. However, we can only agree that
fateful decisions should be taken through referendums, the way it was
done in Crimea, not in private."

Several western analysts and
experts on the Balkans also reacted to Obama's statement, including
James Ker-Lindsay of the London School of Economics, who qualified it as
"an incredible mistake," and noted that "an unofficial" independence
referendum had been organized by ethnic Albanians - but that it took
place in 1991, and that only one country, Albania, recognized its
results.

Cato Institute's Ted Galen Carpenter told Tanjug that
Obama's statement was a regrettable attempt at distorting history,
"especially given that the initial territorial amputation of Kosovo from
Serbia was carried out in 199 by the U.S. and their NATO allies." This
analyst also noted that this act was accompanied by "a shaky facade of
international approval after the fact."

The orchestration of
Kosovo's independence in 2008, Carpenter stressed, represented an
arrogant instance of bypassing the UN Security Council, in violation of
previous UN resolutions.

"Borders will not be redrawn in Balkans"

Source: Tanjug

SARAJEVO -- The British foreign minister says there
will be no more drawing of borders in the Balkans and that only a united
Bosnia in its present borders can join the EU.

(Tanjug)

William
Hague was quoted as saying in Sarajevo on Friday that any reasons for
the breaking up of Bosnia-Herzegovina would encounter "strong resistance
from the United Kingdom and the international community."
He is added that this belief is shared with all his colleagues from the 28 EU member states.

"I'm a big proponent of future membership of Bosnia-Herzegovina in the
EU and NATO, but this will only happen if it is able to function as a
state. This means that it is important that the map of
Bosnia-Herzegovina is final, that people can come together to
cooperate," Hague was quoted as saying.

He pointed out that the
situation in Bosnia must not be linked to the events in Ukraine and
that there is no basis to compare the Serb Republic and Crimea.

He added that the steps that Russia took over the case of Crimea are "a
horrible example of an unlawful annexation," which all EU members
condemned.

Hague arrived in Sarajevo on Thursday with American
actress Angelina Jolie to attend a conference dedicated to prevention of
sexual violence in conflicts.

The British official and Jolie
also traveled to Potočare near Srebrenica, where they had a series of
meetings with the families of the victims and survivors of sexual
violence during the war in Bosnia.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Charges: Approved division of property under the 7501 Law, in the Himara Region

The appeal of 1500 citizens with origin from Himara, with American citizenship, addressed to the U.S. Secretary of the State, John Kerry, for properties of Himara strong influence to the Albanian government

Tirana. Albanian Prime Edi Rama has ordered the removal from office of Prefect of Vlora, Besnik Dervishi. The news was made public by the office of Prime Minister of Albania itself . Dervish was in office from October 2013, which was faced with numerous complaints of citizens of Vlora and Himara region, for shares of the Albanian Police, for demolition of houses with permission.

But according to reliable sources of SManalysis , the reason for discharge Prefect of Vlora, was the adoption of titles of property, in violation of the laws and constitution of the country, from Himara Municipality, a process orchestrated by corrupt oligarchs and the Albanian mafia.

Meanwhile, the public appeal of 1500 citizens with origin from Himara, with American citizenship, addressed to the U.S. Secretary of the State John Kerry, for the return of their property before 1945 in the Himara Region, has been the main cause, in which Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, has ceased Prefect of Vlora, Besnik Dervish.

On 23 November of 2013, The Himara Municipality, has "adopted" in a clandestine manner, the approval of the distribution of property titles, for about 300 citizens from Himara, with the Law 7501. The process was called corrupt by the opposition and civil society of Himara, while within a few days, Prefect of Vlora, have adopted, in violation of the law and the Constitution.

Obama, Pope Francis meet for first time

President Obama meets the Pope

The meeting between the Pope and the President could help smooth tensions with Catholics

Abortion and Obamacare mandates on contraception are areas of disagreement

One place for common ground could be the plight of immigrants and the poor

Pope Francis' popularity could give President Obama a small bump in the polls

(CNN) -- President Barack Obama gave Pope Francis a
bag of seeds as a gift, a fitting token as their first-ever meeting
provided a fresh start of sorts between the administration and Catholic
leadership after years of strained relations.

"These, I think, are
carrots," Obama told the Pontiff, showing him one pouch. The seeds were
inside a box made from timber from the first cathedral to open in the
United States, in Baltimore.

The two world leaders
greeted each other with a smile and a handshake, and posed for pictures
before sitting down across a table from each other.

It was an important meeting that had its share of light moments.

Photos: Popes and U.S. presidents

Pope Francis' first year

Rock star Pope shakes up the Vatican

The President at one
point quipped, "His Holiness is probably the only person in the world
who has to put up with more protocol."

The goal of the meeting:
Focus on areas where two of the world's most influential men agree and
gently tread ground where they differ.

In an interview with the
Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Obama pointed to the Pope's
concern for income inequality, saying, "Given his great moral authority,
when the Pope speaks it carries enormous weight."

Continuing to focus on
income inequality, Obama said, "And it isn't just an economic issue,
it's a moral issue. I think the Pope was speaking to the danger that
over time we grow accustomed to this kind of inequality and accept it as
normal. But we can't."

The President said he admires the Pope's courage to speak out on economic and social issues.

"It doesn't mean we
agree on every issue, but his voice is one that I think the world needs
to hear. He challenges us," Obama told the newspaper. "He implores us to
remember the people, especially the poor, who are affected by the
economic decisions we make."

The meeting took place
two days after the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on a contraception
mandate included in the President's signature health care reform law.

The law exempts churches
and houses of worship from the requirement, but nonprofit, religiously
affiliated groups are required either to provide contraception coverage
to their employees directly or through a third-party insurer.

The U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops has been vocal in its opposition to the provision, said
Sister Mary Ann Walsh, a spokeswoman for the organization.

Pope Francis' most irresistible moments

Jimmy Carter for Catholic women priests

Photos: Gateway for migrants, refugees

"Religious liberties and
right-to-life issues are a concern," she said of the tension between
American Catholic leadership and the administration. However, "the U.S.
bishops have appreciated the administration's cooperation on issues of
mutual concern."

The hard-man film star, who is thought to be an acquaintance of Putin because of a shared love of martial arts, has expressed his support for Russia's actions in Crimea in a 2,000 word interview with state-run newspaper Rossiskaya Gazeta.According to The Moscow Times, Mr Seagal,
who is currently shooting a new film in Romania, said President
Vladimir Putin's "desire to protect the Russian-speaking people of
Crimea, his assets, and the Russian Black Sea military base in Sevastopol … is very reasonable."
In
the interview Seagal reportedly says he considers Putin "one of the
great living world leaders" and that he "would like to consider him as a
brother." He also criticises what he describes as the "idiotic" US
policy on Ukraine.
In an interview last year the star said of
Vladimir Putin that: "I would like to think I know him well. But I know
him well enough to know that he is one of the greatest world leaders, if
not the greatest world leader alive."
Seagal is not the only action star to have waded in on the subject of Crimea.
Former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger
offered some less-than-helpful advice for world leaders when asked
about Crimea in a recent interview to promote his new film 'Sabotage'.
“I think what they all need to do now, is stop whatever they are doing and watch the movie ‘Sabotage’”, he said.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

ATHENS — Greece has hosted a regional naval exercise.
On March 25, Greece has hosted Noble Dina 2014 in cooperation with Israel and the United States.
The two-week naval exercise, headquartered in the Greek island of Crete, was taking place in the eastern Mediterranean.This marked the third edition of Noble Dina, designed to focus on search-and-rescue and anti-submarine warfare missions.

Officials said Greece replaced Turkey in U.S.-sponsored regional naval exercises with Israel. Ankara has refused to participate in major exercises with Israel for nearly five years.
Israel has contributed a range of assets for Noble Dina. Officials cited a Dolphin-class electric-diesel submarine, Saar-5 missile boat, two Saar-4.5 platforms and a frogmen unit.

The first stage of the exercise was scheduled to last 24 hours in Crete. Later, Greece, Israel and the United States were expected to conduct a port security maneuver.

Koco Danaj, head of List for Natural Albania says that Presevo Valley
has the right to unite with Albania and Mr. Jonuz Musliu demand is right
and is made in the right moment. “The Valley is an Albanian territory
that was taken from Albania in the London Conference 1912-1913, like
other territories such as Cameria”, Danaj says, by adding that the
demand complies with the international laws.

“France considers her territory a group of Island in the Central America
like San Martin etc, like UK considers the islands called Malvines,
which are close to Argetina”, Danaj adds. He then asks: Why not to take
in consideration the union of Presevo with Albania?

In the last parliamentary elections in Serbia, the ultra nationalists of
Dacic and Vucic won and now control 82 % of the Serbian Parliamentary.
Danaj says that these forces in the past have committed genocide against
Albanians. “They aim today to “democratically” clean the Valley.

The Medgegja example and the ethnic cleansing after 2000 proves that
very well”, Danaj says and asks all political parties in Tirana and
Prishtina to support Mr. Musliu’s demand. /albeu.com/

Albania has an Al Qaeda problem. And it's starting to fight back

The authorities have arrested eight people on charges of recruiting militants to fight in Syria.

The deaths of Albanians
fighting in Syria for groups such as ISIS have put the security services
on alert. (Mohammed Wesam/AFP/Getty Images)

Advertisement

TIRANA, Albania — Police detained most of the
suspects during dawn raids on two mosques in the Albanian capital
earlier this month.
The eight people arrested included two radical imams, Genci
Balla and Bujar Hysi, believed to be the spiritual leaders of an
extremist Islamist group.
They’re suspected of recruiting dozens of militants for Al Qaeda-affiliated groups fighting in the Syrian civil war.
The authorities also issued international arrest warrants for five more suspects believed to be fighting in Syria.
Observers say radical Islamic groups have operated here for
decades, living mainly on the fringes of society, using websites and
social networks such as YouTube and Facebook to spread radical
propaganda.
Although the majority of Albanians are Muslims — at least nominally — Albanian society is largely secular.
Genci Balla, also known as Abdurrahim Balla, had previously
attracted attention for his fiery internet sermons promoting jihad and
radical militant groups fighting in Syria.
“Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State [of Iraq
and al-Sham] are the only groups that are fighting to create an Islamic
state where Sharia law will rule,” he said in a sermon posted on
YouTube. “The Syrian Free Army ... don’t want Islam to rise up.”
The arrests follow an investigation by the general
prosecutor’s office and police, who seized a Kalashnikov automatic
rifle, a hand grenade and hundreds of rounds of ammunition during the
raid.

It came amid growing concerns about the number of ethnic
Albanians from Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo reported to have joined
militant groups fighting in Syria.
Some 300 Albanian fighters have joined the militant groups
Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham, or ISIS,
according to the International Center for the Study of Radicalization, a
think tank based in London’s King's College.
Edval Zoto, a Tirana-based counterterrorism expert, says the
deaths of Albanian citizens fighting in Syria put the security services
on alert.
However, prosecuting them will be difficult, he says. “It’s difficult to collect evidence that will stand up in court.”More from GlobalPost: As the Kremlin celebrates, Russia’s liberals wallow
The government boosted its counterterrorism operations after
passing a number of amendments to its criminal code earlier this year.
They included sentences of up to 10 years in prison for citizens who
join conflicts abroad for political, ideological or religious reasons.
Kosovo has also passed a similar law, imposing sentences of up to 15 years in prison for those caught fighting abroad.
Although he supports the changes, Zoto says more must be done.
“Radicalization occurs among individuals who are sidelined
from society or belong to small groups,” he says. “Having an open public
debate about the phenomenon is a real deterrent.”

Artur Bainozarov / ReutersMuscovites
walking past a mural showing a map of the Crimean peninsula in the
colors of Russia’s national flag and the words “Crimea and Russia.”

Correction appended

Russia's takeover of Crimea is the first acquisition of foreign
territory by a major power in more than a decade, and some observers,
lawyers and scholars say it is difficult to justify the move based
on past precedents.
The Kremlin has described the joining of the strategic region
to Russia earlier this month as a legitimate agreement between two
independent governments following Crimea's rapid declaration
of independence amid a political crisis in Ukraine. Russian leaders have
emphasized that the region's splitting from Ukraine and the referendum
in which Crimean voters chose to join Russia were actions expressly
in line with international law.
Western powers have vehemently disagreed. They maintain that
the annexation was a flagrant violation of international legal
standards, while some observers have called the action one of the most
significant challenges to the current international order since the end
of the Cold War.
Alexei Malashenko, an analyst at the Moscow Carnegie Center, said
the argument over the legality of the move was an empty one, since
international law can be interpreted and manipulated in different ways
and loopholes can always be found.
"International law is just paper that has lost its value long ago," Malashenko said by phone.
Territorial annexations have become increasingly rare since the end
of World War II as more traditional imperialist systems of government
have faded, and most of those takeovers have not been recognized by the
international community.
For Russia, the takeover of Crimea is the first acquisition since
the period of the late 1940s to early 1950s after World War II, when
the Soviet Union acquired part of Finland, the Baltic states, part
of East Prussia, Western Belarus, Western Ukraine, Moldova, South
Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. The South Kurils are now also claimed
by Japan, which calls them the Northern Territories.
Many enclaves around the world have declared independence in recent
decades, but often have not been formally joined to other countries.
For example, Russia recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia from Georgia following a brief war between Georgia and Russia
in 2008, and Russian troops continue to occupy the territories, but
the Kremlin has not moved to make the disputed republics part of the
Russian Federation.
Perhaps due in part to Crimea's military importance for Russia's
Black Sea Fleet and its historical ties to Russia, the Kremlin went
a step further with the peninsula. According to Dmitry Oreshkin, head
of the Merkator research group, the decision on whether to occupy
a territory or to annex it depends on the "extent of the elite's
craziness."

Kosovo

Russia has pointed to one past international case in particular
in arguing that the West is being hypocritical in its criticism of the
takeover of Crimea: Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia
in 2008.
The Kremlin, which strongly opposed Kosovo's split from its ally
Serbia, has cited the International Court of Justice's 2010 ruling that
Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence without Serbia's
agreement complied with international law.
But many differences exist between the situations in Kosovo and Crimea, observers say.
Unlike in Crimea, it took Kosovo many years to declare independence,
Malashenko said. In Crimea, the parliament voted in late February
to hold a referendum on the peninsula's status on May 25, then later
moved the date to March 16.
"This is not the way it is done," Malashenko said, adding that a year
ago nobody had even considered the issue of Crimea splitting
from Ukraine.
Kosovo was also the site of a military conflict and ethnic cleansing,
whereas Crimea has seen no major violence for decades, he said.
The Russian government has cited supposed threats by "bandits"
and Ukrainian ultranationalists as justification for authorizing Russian
troops to enter Ukraine to defend Russian citizens. But there have been
virtually no reports of violence against Russians in Crimea.
Another difference between Kosovo and Crimea, Oreshkin said, is that Kosovo, unlike Crimea, was not annexed to another country.

Annexation, or Legitimate Treaty?

The Kremlin has argued that Crimea's joining Russia was the result
of a legitimate agreement between two independent states, with
supporters comparing it to the handover of Hong Kong from Britain
to China in 1997 under a bilateral agreement.
Another comparison made by supporters of the Crimean referendum is
that with Saarland, which had been run by France under a League
of Nations mandate since 1920 and held a referendum to join Germany
in 1935.
Curtis Doebbler, a U.S. human rights lawyer, agreed with the Russian government's position.
"An annexation of territory infers an act that is done against
the will of the people of the territory concerned," he said by e-mail.
"When the people of a territory that is part of one state express
the free and uncoerced will to join another state, it is more correct
to speak of the exercise of self-determination."
He also argued that the fact that Crimea's decision to declare
independence was "encouraged and protected" by Russia did not discredit
people's expression of self-determination.
Lorand Bartels, a lecturer in international law at the University
of Cambridge, rejected Russia's arguments, however. He said there was no
right of secession from a parent state except when the people are under
risk of serious threat of harm, which was not the case in Crimea.
"As to the 'treaty,' this depends on there having been a state
capable of concluding such a treaty with Russia," he said by e-mail.
"There are various reasons why there was not."
Bartels said that if there were a right of self-determination
exercisable by secession in this case, the Crimean referendum was not
a valid exercise of that right due to "procedural irregularities."
Several deputies of the Crimean parliament have said that they were
absent at the parliament session in late February that approved
the referendum but had been recorded as present, and that there had been
no quorum at the meeting.
Critics of the Crimean referendum have also argued that few
independent observers were present and have accused the authorities
of cracking down on independent journalists, allowing Russian citizens
to vote and falsifying turnout numbers. Russian and Crimean authorities
say the vote was legitimate.
Bartels also argued that the requisite "independence" of Crimea was lacking thanks to Russian control over the territory.
"The purported independence of the state was tainted by at least
a threat of use of force, and most likely use of force itself, making it
illegal to recognize the state, and rendering the statehood of Crimea
a nullity," Bartels said.
Opponents of the current Crimean government have argued that its
decisions were illegitimate because it was allegedly appointed under
duress when armed men without insignia seized the parliament building
in late February.
Bartels argued that Russia's takeover of Crimea was illegitimate also
because the peninsula's independence from Ukraine was not recognized
by any other state, and "hence there was no entity capable of concluding
a treaty with Russia."

Nazi Comparisons

The most controversial comparisons made regarding the joining
of Crimea to Russia have been to territorial acquisitions by Nazi
Germany ahead of World War II.
One such comparison has been to Germany's 1938 takeover
of Sudetenland, a German-speaking region of Czechoslovakia. Just as
in Russia's takeover of Crimea, Germany said it sought to protect local
residents from abuse by the government.
Another case that has been called similar is Germany's annexation
of Austria in 1938, called the "Anschluss." Malashenko, of the Carnegie
Moscow Center, said this was different from Crimea, however, because
Austria was an independent state rather than part of another country.
During the Anschluss, Germany forced Austria to install pro-Nazi
politician Arthur Seyss-Inquart as chancellor, who then invited German
troops to invade the country. Critics have compared the move
to pro-Russian forces' takeover of the Crimean parliament in late
February, installment of Sergei Aksyonov as prime minister
and subsequent invasion of Crimea by Russian troops.
German troops were met by cheering crowds in Austria — a move that
some said paralleled the friendly reception given to Russian forces
in Crimea.
Following the occupation of Austria by German troops, a referendum
was held in which 99.7 percent voted in favor of annexation, according
to official results. A similar landslide of 96.77 percent was
the official result in the Crimea referendum on March 16.
The Anschluss of Austria by Germany was recognized by the
international community, while Russia's takeover of Crimea was not, but
both referendums were criticized by foreigners for alleged violations.
When justifying the Anschluss, Germany argued that Austria's
population consisted of ethnic Germans, and the ethnic argument was also
a major one for the Kremlin, which has emphasized that most of Crimea's
population, or about 58 percent, are ethnic Russians.
The issue of shared ethnicity has also been raised in other arguments
over territory. India invaded the Portuguese colony of Goa and annexed
it after a brief military conflict in 1961, noting that the region,
which had been ruled by Portugal since the 16th century, is populated
by an Indo-Aryan people. Portugal initially called the move an illegal
annexation, but over a decade later recognized Goa as part of India.

Shared History

Another argument frequently used by Russia in justifying its seizing
of Crimea is that the region had been part of Russia before 1954,
and that its transfer to Ukraine was a pure formality since both Russia
and Ukraine were parts of the Soviet Union at the time.
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein used a similar justification when he
invaded Kuwait in 1990, saying it had been part of Iraq during
the Ottoman period. After the invasion, a formally independent republic
was established in Kuwait and subsequently it was joined to Iraq.
The annexation was never recognized by the international community.
Israel has appealed to history in its territorial occupations, saying
that Palestine and parts of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan were parts of the
Jewish lands described in the Bible. Though most of the territories
occupied by Israel have not been formally integrated into the Jewish
state, the country brought some of them under its jurisdiction,
including Palestine's East Jerusalem in 1967 and Syria's Golan Heights
in 1981.
Viktor Nadeyin-Rayevsky, a research fellow at Moscow's Institute
of World Economy and International Relations, rejected any parallels
with Israel, saying that Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem and Golan
Heights had been declared illegitimate by the United Nations. He also
noted that Crimea was part of Russia in recent history, while he said
Israel's claims were "mythological."
Security considerations also played a role in Israel's takeovers
because the occupation and annexation of surrounding Arab lands "was
the only way for it to survive," Malashenko said.Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated
that Abkhazia and South Ossetia split from Georgia in 2008. In fact,
they formally seceded from Georgia in the early 1990s, while in 2008
Russia recognized their independence.

Crimea Domino Effect : US To Greece is required, not to block Macedonia to NATO. Albania wants from Greece, recognition of Kosovo, but Greece seek large Autonomy Republic of Northern Epirus from Albania, Montenegro hesitates for NATO, while Bosnia risks split in tow.

Albanian nationalist Kreshnik Spahiu: we will not allow any government Rama effort, to divide ethnic Albanian territory, based on the Greek historic claims

U.S. diplomacy efforts intensify for the next NATO summit in Bucharest. According to Greek sources, the Balkan region, especially triangle Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, has become the subject of diplomatic changes within the western alliance of NATO.

This is because the case of Crimea, can clash and unexpected situation in the Balkan region, which still lies partly under the control of NATO. Countries like Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia, and Serbia, are outside the NATO alliance membership, which can cause insecurity crisis in the region.

But according to information reserved from Greek media, there are efforts within the alliance and U.S. diplomats in particular, that we made ​​maximum efforts for the NATO in next Bucharest summit, to join the remaining countries in Balkans.

Of course Greece is playing a primary role, adding diplomatic efforts recognized Kosovo in exchange for broad autonomy for Republic of Northern Epirus, for which the principle of self-determination, the historical principle and values ​​of the western alliance, to serve for a reformation , in the region.

Meanwhile, yesterday, during a TV interview News 24,the Chairman of Red & Black Alliance Party, Kreshnik Spahiu, declared: "The Government of Rama, is negotiating, for maritime border with Greece, to provide a large autonomy in the South of Albania, for Northern Epirus. we will not allow and will make major protests, even though the solution will be the recognition of Kosovo, by Greece ".

Putin Ally Silvio Berlusconi Condemns 'Reckless' G7 Russia Ban

Former Italy prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has condemned the G7
decision to suspend the 16-year collaboration with Russia in the G8
group of leading industrialised nations as "reckless and
counter-productive".
The 77-year-old media mogul, banned for two years from public office
after he was found guilty of tax fraud, lamented that Western leaders in
The Hague have taken decisions "far from the constructive spirit" of
collaboration with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Italy's disgraced ex-premier is widely regarded as Putin's closest
friend among senior western politicians. During the Ukraine crisis, he
reportedly told ambassador John Philips at the American embassy that "it
would be an error to isolate Russia" and called for the US to "involve
the Kremlin."

Berlusconi and Putin are bound by a decade-long, sincere friendship.
The 77-year-old invited the Russian leader to his private villa in
Sardinia in 2008. Putin has long defended Berlusconi and once dismissed
concerns over the former prime minister's sex scandals by saying: "They
mainly criticise him because they are jealous."
In the wake of the renewed Western crisis with Russia, Berlusconi
claimed he was responsible for the transformation of the G7 to G8. "I
was the one in 1994 who invited President Yeltsin at the G7 in Naples
and in 2001 to change the G7 to G8 with Putin in Genova. In 2002 I
concluded the strategic deal between Nato and Russia at the
international meeting in Pratica di Mare.
"I think that these decisions taken by Western diplomacies are reckless and far from this constructive spirit," he said.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Balkan worries of the Syrian aftermath

March 20, 2014

By Ioannis Michaletos |

The recent arrests of Jihadist
recruiters in Albanian and Serbia relating to the Syrian conflict and
the revelation of the involvement of the Furqan NGO and its two
coordinators, “IC and SP”, is a short glance of the networking involved
between a substantial and radicalized Wahhabi/Salafi base centered in
Bosnia-Herzegovina and their “brethren” in Syria. It is estimated that
around 1,000 Balkan Islamists have fought or are currently engaged in
battles in Syria.

Balkan jihadis in Syria pose in photo

In various occasions media reports and assessments by international
security organizations point out of around 5,000-6,000 radicalized
Wahhabis at any given moment in Bosnia. Significant groups are also
based in the Raska-Sanjak region in Serbia and in Eastern Montenegro,
Kosovo, FYROM, Albania and Southern Bulgaria. Moreover cells are to be
found in Greece composed by newly established immigrants and in Istanbul
from where the main coordinating center for Jihadists from Europe
entering Syria is based. Furthermore separate groups are located in
Croatia, in Milano and in Vienna, thus encompassing almost the whole of
Southeastern Europe.
The Wahhabi movement described is the main network through which
foreign fighters to Syria are recruited. From the aforementioned regions
such as Bosnia, every week for the past few months a new death of a
“martyr” is announced in the media signaling casualties from the ongoing
war and the strong interaction between Balkans and the Middle East in
the realm of religious fanaticism.
Due to the security issues involved, Bosnia and Herzegovina has
recently passed a law that prohibits the Wahhabis to recruit people for
the war abroad. A similar measure is pending in the southern Serbian
province of Raska-Sanjak. According to Deputy Prime Minister of the
country Rasim Ljajic, Serbia is preparing amendments to the Criminal
Code that would classify the specific Wahhabi recruitment for the war in
the country punishable by imprisonment.
The current law does not provide for any penalties for those who go
to war campaigns, or for those who organize them. The activity of the
Jihadi propagators and instigators is mainly concentrated in rural areas
and a large number of Wahhabi is particularly active in the border
areas with Bosnia, Kosovo and Montenegro.
Wahhabis in Novi Pazar, Sandzak and other cities came into play in
the hectic war in Syria when their leaders under the direction and with
the money obtained outside of Serbia, began to recruit volunteers for
the army of the Islamic State of Iraq itself (ISIS), linked to Al-Qaeda
war against Bashar al-Assad.
According to all available information, during the course of the
current war in Syria, 35 Jihadists from Raska-Sanjak alone have been
killed. While the Jihadists from the battle field send pictures with
AK-47 and dismembered Syrian civilians in their internet forums, a
debate has already emerged in the local Islamic communities if this
behavior is actually counterproductive or sinful, a process that will be
elevated due to the recent decision by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and United
Arab Emirates to classify both Al Nusra and ISIS as terrorist groups,
along with the Muslim Brotherhood. It is assessed that a massive return
of Balkan Jihadists will occur over the coming weeks, culminating by
early summer 2014.
In a wider level, according to a past research by Steven Oluic
Assistant Professor of the US Military Academy: ” Although several
community leaders, journalists and NGO representatives lament that this
region is an economic disaster, the modern and impressive facilities of
the Islamic Community and International University of Novi Pazar
suggests that significant funding is coming from some unknown
donor(s)….journalists based in Belgrade and Novi Pazar, many NGO
representatives and Serbian security officials contend that money is
being funneled into the Sandzak from wealthy Mideast donors via Austria,
Bosnia and even Hungary….The magazine “SAFF,” the flagship journal of
the radical Sarajevo-based Aktivna Islamska Omladina (Active Islamic
Youth) or AIO, can be found in bookshops and kiosks. The AIO is a vocal
critic of US policies in the Middle East and has been tied to Al
Qaeda….Syria was mentioned several times as a location where many
Bosniaks receive their cost-free religious education in what was termed
the “Sheriat Faculty” whereupon they return as hodzas (Islamic
instructors) to Europe. A brother of one of these students stated that
“there are many of us there (Syria).”
At this point it should be noted that the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood’s
links with the Balkans were strong even since the late 80′s and before
the dissolution of the then Yugoslavia. The infamous Abu Hamza Syrian
national has been- along with others- preparing a full scale
infiltration of the region which then evolved into the introduction of
15,000 “Mujahedeen” into the Western Balkans in the early 90′s.
Nowadays a return of Jihadist from Syria, coupled with an expanded
Schengen travel zone across the EU and the implosion of the worldwide
Islamic radical scene into countless small segments with no distinct
hierarchy and leadership poses a significant difficulty in the
international security authorities to pin-point future probable actions,
whilst it seems that Jihadism is relying more and more of the “lone
wolf” modus opperandi, whereby propagators instigate attacks on a
“spontaneous level” by “wannabe” Jihadists, such as was the case over
the past few years in Lyon, Brussels, London and Boston.
The case of Muamer Effendi Zukorlić
Muamer Zukorlic born February 15, 1970 in Orlje, Tutin, SR Serbia,
then Yugoslavia) is the Grand Mufti of Sandzak, who now operates as a
grand Mufti at the top, in the 2007 formed Islamska zajednica u Srbiji
(“ Islamic Community in Serbia ” ), headquartered in Novi Pazar
He graduated from the Gazi Husrev – Medresa in Sarajevo and from the
Department of Islamic Sharia Faculty in Constantine, Algeria. Further
studies led him to Lebanon. He is the founder and Rector of the
International University in Novi Pazar and the first Dean of the Faculty
of Islamic studies.
In 2004, he protested vigorously against the introduction of a
Remembrance Day for the Saint Sava of Serbia to the local state schools.
In 2006, Zukorlic signed to an open letter of Islamic scholars to Pope
Benedict XVI after his “Regensburg speech”. He was one of the 138
signatories of the open letter A Common Word between Us and You, the
personalities of Islam to “leaders of Christian churches everywhere “.
Zukorlic since 2012 has showed that he wants to play an active role
into the Serbian politics and he was even a Presidential candidate,
while he is often accused as an instigator of the “Green corridor” axis
based between Kosovo-Sanjak and Bosnia a sort of an autonomous Islamic
state in the heart of the Balkans.
In an interview in 2011 to a Bosnian paper Dnevni avaz, Zukorlic
publicly claimed that he wants an autonomy for the region and
specifically added that “”Sandzak’s autonomy needs to be carried out in
our minds and with our organizational capacities….We decided to open
Sandzak representative offices in Brussels, Washington, Istanbul, and
Sarajevo”. Zukorlic has a Twitter account
“https://twitter.com/MuamerZukorlic”, where interesting, rather populist
and certainly out of the ordinary for an Imam tweets are beamed on a
regular basis, suggesting aims for continuing on a political
consolidation of his persona in the region, a fact that has little been
researched concerning his overall motives. The changes that were caused
in the entire Islamic world due to the Syrian unfolding crisis will soon
rather than latter reach Novi Pazar and play a role in the domestic
religious and political scene.
In overall political trembles should be expected once the returnees
from the “Syrian front” arrive in Sarajevo and Novi Pazar, as well as in
Priznen and in Tetovo, with a fresh defeat and accusations of treason
towards their “brethren” both in the Balkans and in the Middle East. The
role of Turkey would be crucial and few researchers realize around the
explosive situation nowadays in Istanbul and Ankara where a full blown
psychological war is being waged against Erdogan that will culminate no
later than in the 1st anniversary of the 2013 revolt in the Gezi Park in
Istanbul.
In such a case further issues are to be assessed for, both by local
Balkan states and by EU ones, due to credible fears that literally
thousands of uncontrollable Jihadists may set foot in the Balkans for
the second time in 20 years.

Worry in Albania that Russia’s aggression may destabilize the Balkans

Serbia may be tempted to radicalize once again, threatening the prospect of peace and stability in the region

Members of Albanian parliament worry that the Russian aggression in
Ukrain’s Crimea may an inspire Serbia to abandon its current policies
and endanger the prospects of peace and stability in the Balkans.
“It may have implications in the Balkans because it is clear that Serbia
may change its approach in new context provided that this Russian
expansion continues,”, Ben Blushi, an MP of the ruling Socialist Party
said during a session of the Commission on Foreign Policy of Kuvend (the
Albanian parliament).
Blushi went as far as to wonder on the ways which the Russian new
aggression will transform the European Union itself and eventually
affect Albania’s efforts to become a member country of the block.
The socialist MP, who has clashed, at times, with the current prime
minister and chairman of his own party, Edi Rama, asked for a report
from the Defense Minister of Albania on the role of Albania as a member
of NATO in these changing circumstances. His request found support from
other members of the commission on both sides of the aisle.
Ukraine is not so far from Albania, Blushi argued. “As a NATO member our
borders are not only in Vermosh and Konispol (respectively most
northern and southern villages of Albania), but all the way to
Lithuania, Poland and wherever NATO-s area extends”, he said.
Kastriot Islami a member of parliament from the opposition Democratic
Party echoed his colleague’s concern on the effects that the Russian
moves in Crimea may have in our region and particularly in Kosovo.
Islami asked for more expert information on the recent events
underlining that most of what is going around comes from media and that
is not always verifiable. He asked for experts of the Foreign Affairs
and Defense ministries to supply the commission with updated reports.
The former Foreign Minister agreed with Blushi that as a member of NATO,
Albania should be more attentive to these developments while evaluating
their effects in the region.
The Democrat MP also wondered on EU’s abilities to respond to Washington’s demand for a tougher stand on Russia.
“If the United States of America has a more radical stance, by asking
for… tougher economic sanctions against Russia, the European Union, for
widely known reasons of economic interdependence and geographic
proximity will look for a softer approach,” he said.
Arta Dade, another former Minister of Foreign Affairs in the past
Socialist administration and current Chairman of the Commission on
Foreign Affairs, confirmed that Albania’s position on the developments
in Crimea will reflect those of NATO and EU.(Written by Denion Ndrenika/Translated by Ruben Avxhiu – Illyria)

Notorious Ukrainian right-wing militant leader
Aleksandr Muzychko, also known as Sashko Bilyi, has been shot dead
during a police raid against his gang, confirmed Ukraine’s Ministry of
Interior.
Muzychko was killed in Rovno, western Ukraine, where he
coordinated actions of local groups belonging to the nationalist
Right Sector movement.

Police discovered a spare loaded magazine for a Makarov pistol
and a total of $3,500 and 5,000 Ukrainian hryvnas in cash on
Muzychko’s body, UNN agency reported to a Ukrainian Interior
Ministry official as saying. Muzychko received three gunshot
wounds to his chest and two to his right leg, the official said.
At a press conference dedicated to Muzychko‘s death, First Deputy
Interior Minister Vladimir Yevdokimov announced that charges of
hooliganism and obstructing law enforcement agencies had been
filed against Muzychko March 8, and on March 12 Muzychko was put
on the Ukrainian police’s wanted list.
Yevdokimov provided a dramatic version of the events leading up
to Muzychko’s death.

The operation to arrest him took place in a village near Rovno,
where the militant leader and three of his bodyguards, all of
them armed, were in a local restaurant, called “The Three
Crucians.”
An assault group from the Sokol special police task force stormed
the restaurant to detain Muzychko and his henchmen. The militant
leader made an attempt to flee through a window. He opened fire,
and two of his bullets wounded a police officer, who returned
fire and shot Muzychko in the leg. Other police officers shot in
the air, Yevdokimov said.

Aleksandr Muzychko (Still from YouTube video/TVRivne1)

Even after Muzychko fell to the ground, he continued shooting.
“When [the police] attempted to detain him, they found out he
was wounded. The medics who arrived at the scene proclaimed
Muzychko dead,” Yevdokimov said.
The three bodyguards, who were armed with Kalashnikov assault
rifles and Makarov pistols, were detained by police.
A former senior official at the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU)
told RIA Novosti that the objective of the operation – carried
out by SBU with the help of the Interior Ministry – was to kill
Muzychko, rather than to detain him.
“The goal of the operation was not to detain, but to
neutralize Muzychko, to remove him from the stage,” the
source said, adding that the militant leader was undermining the
new Ukrainian authorities and pursuing his own interests through
his leadership of the Right Sector movement.
Muzychko himself earlier said he believed he could be killed. In
a video address recently posted on YouTube he said that the
leadership of “the Prosecutor General's office and the
Interior Ministry of Ukraine made a decision to either eliminate
me or to capture me and hand me over to Russia, to then blame it
all on the Russian intelligence.”
The man was known for his radicalism, attacks on local officials
during the coup in Kiev, and refusing to give up arms after the
new authorities were imposed.

Under the name Sashko Bilyi, he took an active part in the First
Chechen War in 1994-1995, when he headed a group of Ukrainian
nationalists fighting against Russian troops.
Russia’s Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Aleksandr Muzychko in
early March. The Ukrainian was accused of torturing and murdering
at least 20 captured Russian soldiers as he fought alongside
Chechen militants.

Aleksandr Muzychko came under the spotlight of the Russian
authorities after a series of scandals in Ukraine, when the
radical nationalist leader went on with the rampage against
regional authorities, lashing out at a local prosecutor,
threatening local authorities with an AK-47 and making openly anti-Semitic statements.

Poll: 54 percent support EU membership

Source: Beta

BELGRADE -- A majority of Serbian citizens would
vote in favor of their country's membership in the EU in a referendum,
according to a new survey.

(Tanjug. file)

The survey was commissioned by the Beta news agency and conducted by Ipsos Strategic Marketing.
"Since
the end of 2012 we have an upward trend, today we have more people than
a year or a year and a half ago supporting entry into the EU," said
representative of Ipsos Strategic Marketing Predrag Kurčubić.

If a referendum on this issue were called now, 54 percent would vote in
favor. Beta said in its report that "29 percent would definitely vote in
favor, 26 percent likely, while 19 percent would be certainly against,
and eight percent would probably say 'no'."

The survey's
results were presented on Tuesday in Belgrade. It was conducted February
22-27 on a representative sample larger than 1,000 respondents.

Beta news agency editor-in-chief Ivan Cvejić said that the agency as
part of the Argus project would give to the media even more analytical
materials on the negotiations on Serbia's membership in the EU,
especially on chapters 23 and 24, the judiciary and the rule of law and
human rights, which, as noted, will require fundamental changes in
society.

The stance towards EU membership "is somewhat at odds
with the opinion of citizens on international institutions and
countries, considering that 27 percent said they had a positive opinion
about the EU," the presentation also heard.

The fact that twice
as many respondents supported Serbia's entry into the organization made
Kurčubić conclude that Serbians "expect certain benefits from the EU,
would be ready to support it because they expect something positive to
happen."

21 percent said they believed Serbia will never join
the EU, 35 percent think it will happen by 2020, and 19 percent that it
will take place after that date.

73 percent of respondents said
that Serbia will during the negotiations face greater challenges than
other countries in the region that have joined the EU, while 18 percent
think it will have the same treatment. Nine percent did not know the
answer to that question.

Kosovo is a requirement about whose
importance for EU entry the greatest number of citizens agree, Beta
said, adding that this number is "about one in three, while all others
are below 10 percent."

Those who took part in the poll believe
that the next country from the region to join the EU will be Montenegro
(38 percent), and 23 percent thought it will be Serbia.

The Panepirotic Federation of America vehemently condemns the brutal destruction by Albanian authorities on August 26 of a Greek Orthodox Church in the Chimara region of the former Communist nation that once prohibited all forms of religious worship. The Church of St. Athanasius in the town of Drymades, known in Albanian as Dhermi, was completely destroyed by government agents acting on the authority of Albania’s Interior Ministry.

Petitioning European Council

The land in Himara belongs to the people of Himara! Land and property registration NOW! Signe now this petition to the European Councile, for the registration of properties to the only and single eligible owner: the PEOPLE of Himara.

Himara Community of USA, Addresses Himarra Property Issues with US State Department / Ambassador

The Honorable John F. Kerry Secretary of State U.S. Department of State Dear Mr. Secretary: We are writing to inform you of issues affecting United States citizens who have vested interests in the municipality of Himarra, Albania, and to express our concern about their long outstanding and unresolved problems regarding property rights. Over 1500 US citizens of Himarrioton descent are disenfranchised of their rights to the ownership of their family properties which were confiscated in 1945 by the communist regime. They have been attempting to claim their family properties since the end of the communist period without success due to the laws and policies of the Albanian government which a) fail to address ownership rights of pre-1945 landowners, b) fail to address the rights of owners who were forced to emigrate to the United States for economic or political reasons, and c) fail to address the rights of those with dual citizenship who have attempted to claim their properties as Albanian citizens.

Opinion - Kisha Autoqefale dhe Greqia! (14 tetor 2013)

DEBAT NE OPINION TV KLAN

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Officially: Omonoia, In Albania over 300.000 Greeks declared

30 % or 86,000, are declared electronically and this process includes 85 % of the members of the Greek minority Vlora Prefecture is the mostly populated by Greeks, there are about 90. 000 Greeks. TIRANA - Democratic Union of the Greek Ethnic Minority, Omonoia publishes the results of the census of members of the Ethnic Greek Community, organized by it structures. The Prime Census, was the decision of the General Council of the organization as members argued for exclusion of the Greek minority in the months Census October 2011, organized by the Institute of Statistics .

The history of elections of the Albanian dictator, to terrorize the people of Himara

A special Edition by SManalysis December 2, 1945: The Himariotes, abstaining from communist referendum, as happens usually for Himara the Albanian historians, never wrote this tragic history. Nikos Koutoulas, who boldly told the special communist court: "I'm Greek . I do not know Albanian, get me a interpret!" Still now, Albania never hold free politic elections, including Himara Municipality

Albanian Writer Raises Storm in Kosovo

Kosovo officials have rounded on Albanian writer Fatos Lubonja for saying that the political elites in both countries turned a blind eye to the crimes of the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA. Besar Likmeta BIRN Tirana Albanian writer Fatos Lubonja In the article published in the May edition of the magazine Sudosteuropa, Lubonja focused on the reaction of Albania’s political class to the acquittal of the former KLA commander and Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj by the Hague Tribunal. Lubonja wrote that following Haradinaj’s release, the elite in Pristina and Tirana celebrated him as a hero, despite having enough information that the charges brought by prosecutors in the Hague were correct.

As long as human rights and civil liberties are violated in Himara Region primarily property, Greec

Himara Associations: Athens to block the status of Albania, if Tirana, does not solve the property issue Two associations based in Himara, "The Himara Community" and "Sea Coastal Association" have asked in a statement distributed to the media this afternoon that Greece "should block the candidate status for Albania" if Tirana, will not solve the problems of Human Rights and particularly the issue of the properties in Himara Region. The statement takes into consideration the visit Tirana following day of E.Venizelos the Greek Deputy Prime Minister also heads the Presidency of the European :

Albania minorities object to territorial division

Albania's civil society is calling on officials to diffuse tensions and protect minorities from discrimination and potential violence as a result of the decision to scrap the existing municipalities and create a new territorial administration. The government reduced the 384 local government units to 65, effectively creating entirely Albanian-majority municipalities. Greek, Macedonian and other minority representatives said the government's move violates their rights and international norms.

Poll: Albania, the most racist country in Europe

An international survey data from the World Value Survey collected and processed by the Washington Post reveals that Albania is the most racist country in Europe and worldwide more racists. The survey attempts to make a connection between economic development and being tolerant inside a society with ethnic crashes.. Thus, the most tolerant countries in the world are the Nordic countries, Great Britain and some of its former colonies, the United States, Canada and Australia. Countries with high tolerance are also in Latin America, where Venezuela exception.

Fatos Lobonja: Albania needs formatting not to rebirth

Fatos Lobonja, in an interview for the program "PULS" the KohaVision in Kosovo, there appeared criticism of developments in Albania. According Lubonja Albanians as a society still can not be consolidated. The reasons, according to him, are corrupt Albanian political elites on all sides, inside and abroad. He said they did not thirst for power leaves organize and move forward. Edi Rama's arrival at the head of government, according Lubonja, will not change the image of Albania, because Rama is associated with the oligarchs and organized crime. " He should answer that elite and non-citizens of Albania ", Lobonja estimates.

Nicholas Gage: Athens to give soon the Greek citizenship for thousand north epiriotes

World Council delegation of Epirus Abroad, meeting with the Ministry of Interior for the vote of northern epiriotes and the resolve the pension problem The visit of Nicholas Gage, is considering as the latest diplomatic effort of USA lobbing, for implementation of the "Protocol of Corfu" agreement, between Albania and Greece, based on the ulterior escalation in Balkan region. The Delegation of the World Council of Foreign Relation of Epirus (PSIE) headed by the Honorary President Nicolas Gkatzogianni, had a working meeting with the Greek Interior minister Stylianidis and v/ minister Syrigos.

Himariotes, lobbying in USA, for Autonomy

A group of people of Himara, with American citizenship, are lobbying to the US Congress and the State Department, that the Himara Region, receive the right for autonomy, according to international historical right to his self-determination. Proposed to merge all associations operating in USA, Greece and Albania, to be united in a single purpose: Autonomous Himara, Movements in the Balkans geopolitical, Mitrovica case, cutting pension from Greece, scarce public investment, robbery and illegal registration of property, etc., have raised a great concern, as never in the recent relationship of Himara, Albanian and Greek state relationship.

Pyrros Dimas, meeting with the Greek Minister of Labour, for problem of pensions to the Northern Ep

- Initiative of MP of PASOK, Pyrros Dimas for preparing and drafting a legislative proposal in collaboration with representatives of the Northern Epirus organizations. - The Minister agreed on the need to find a solution and urged the Member to develop concrete proposals, and that after consultation with the Secretary of the New Republic, Manolis Kefaloyiannis will be submitted jointly to the Minister of Finance.

"Kakome Case" again to the Albanian Tribunals

The Greek Community continues to "constant war" with the Albanian government to protect property. The apathy of Athens, to respond to the robbery of the properties in just the time, that OSCE, under the process of the registration of property in Ionian Coast, from European taxpayers, without any trasparence, is favoring according to Albanian law, alienation of property, of the Greek community , with the false documents.

Berisha: albanophobia threatens inter region

Berisha: "We must accept that they are the only people who live in 5 states. A nation that is unjustly divided into 5 states, a nation that wants to look to a common future. But again albanophobia is still in action " Albanian Prime Minister for the second time, threatening Greece, claiming that Albanians in Greece, should join the Albanian state.

NORTHERN EPIRUS THROUGH THE CENTURIES(LECTURE OF VASILIOS KYRANIS, Harvard University -1981) AL

Christos Pappas, in an interview with Arthur Zhei, News 24 TV

Pappas: "Northern Epirus is a region that holds arbitrary from Albania, as recognized by the great powers, the Protocol of Corfu. The Law of War against Albania, can not remove from Papoulias nor Greek parliament, but the Greek army is ready to liberate the Northern Epirus, again

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After a life threatening message to Archbishop Janullatos

42 Orthodox clergy against census and Red & Black Alliance: Janullatos has not afraid of death 42 Tirana archdiocese Orthodox clergy have reacted with a joint statement in defense of Anastasios Yannoulatos. Their attitude comes after strong reactions against the Red & Black Alliance, for Archbishop and after a census that sees Orthodox in third place in terms of religion in the country.

Albania: 100 years, Berisha plays 'great Albania' trump card

In Tirana Albanian leaders, tensions with Macedonia 28 November, 10:49 (ANSAmed) - TIRANA, NOVEMBER 28 - Albania's black and red national flag with a double-headed eagle is waving across the country which is celebrating today its 100th anniversary of independence in a tense political climate. The centre-right Premier Sali Berisha has been calling for days for an ethnic-national unification of all Albanians living in different Balkan states, in efforts to revive a strong nationalism which is rejected by Albania's opposition.

The Official Site of The Himara Community

CONTINUES THE DEBATE IN WASHINGTON D.C. FOR THE PROPERTY RIGHTS OF AMERICAN CITIZENS FROM NORTHERN

According to the Greek organisation of Albania estimates there are thousands of Greek American citizens from Northern Epirus (Southern Albania) which is refering the Journalist Lambros Papantoniou, asking the Spokesman of State Department for the rights of American citizens with Greek origin to take their properties in Southern Albania. Papantoniou is refereeing a Memo between Albanian State and USA about the civil rights especially for the properties of American citizens who are interested to take them according to Albanian Constitution and laws the properties of family generation. This is the second debate of the veteran Journalist for Balkan Issues in State Department Lambros Papantoiou who accuses over all the Sali Berisha Regim in Albania supported by the President Bush.

A Response to AFP

SManalysis Orthodox churches of Albania, are Byzantine churches, belong to the property of the population of Epirus.....

Avramopoulos`s speach during NATO meeting

Greece threatens Albania blocking the integration process after Berisha's statements Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, has expressed his concern at the NATO ministerial meeting about rising tide of nationalism in Albania and premature declarations of the government. In a press release the Greek Foreign Ministry said that "the growth of nationalism and populism in some of our neighboring countries is a source of great concern."

The U.S. talk of "change of borders in the Balkans"

Message-warning sent to Albania by the U.S. representative to the State Department, which in a statement said that any change of borders in the Balkans "would be counterproductive and destabilizing," but the issue is that for the first time put the U.S. even and negative mood on any change of borders in the Balkans ...

INUK në Vlorë, pronarët: Me dokumenta të rregullta dhe leje ndërtimi

ENIKOS.GR

GREEK NEWS FROM NIKO`S BLOG

PREMIUM, THE GREEK TRASFORMATION

The "Kissinger Plan": Confederations Macedonia, Epirus, Thrache,

THE BIG CHANGE IN PERIVOLO, DRYMADES, HIMARA REGION

Dhermi, (Drymades, Himara Region) between natural beauty and destruction Look at those videos, before in 2010, everything natural and in 2012 the differences, the big changes how are divided Mafia plots, see whose investments are shown, with the camera of a sportsman parachute, in Long Beach "Perivolo" in Dhrymades, the Himara Region. Look at how this summer 2012, the Concessions of Mafia provided by The Himara Counsil Municipality and the Government of Albania, have become a reality. The Sand Beach Drymades, is transformed in the sidewalks and kiosks. See how they are transformed Dhermi, in a few years, in an administrative center, disrupting also balance the religious and ethnic composition of himariotes.

Robert Elsie: If I would live in Albania, it would be crazy. It is the same as in Ottoman times

After known albanolog Milan Shufla, Robert Elsie is the best conteproranean albanian albanolog in the World During his intereweu on "Top Channely TV, Robert Elsie, on his first interview on TV. expresed his story about Albanian and Albanian state in 100 years. An interesting tale scholar known for his work difficulties in view of the Albanian language. Elsie, who knows Albanians for years, amounts to a chilling conclusion. He says he will not ever live in Albania, as it will go mad. "I can not live here. It's a little wild for me, the relationships between people are a bit wild. I know that is just a facade that inside have good spirit, but have a rabies in human relations. You know how to protect yourself here, and here I am like a rabbit, he can not defend myself. I come here with pleasure, but do not believe they can afford to come and live here forever. There is much frustration of everyday life. Life is too short and I do not have time to bump into obstacles, only to achieve something, when in another country and get away and then live my life, "said Elsie to Albanian. And while Enver Hoxha's Albania as compared with that of Sali Berisha, adds: "There is something that depends only on the party, it's more the attitude of the people. So to get something going, you have to know someone in the Ministry, to drink coffee with, then drink coffee again next week with even a third time, and then he connects with the person that you are interested . That is the same as in Ottoman times, not like a normal country. ".

Separatists gaining ground in Europe

Greece, is going to Plan B: grant for 600 thousand Greek citizenship, at the Consulates

Failure of the Census in Albania, apparently, has forced Athens, put in place, going to Plan B to its foreign policy, grant citizenship to all Hellenic Community of Northern Epirus (Greek passports) through three Greek consulates in Albania. According to “The Albanian newspaper Gazeta Shqiptare”, in a statement issued by the Greek Consul in Argjirokaster, Nikolaos Kotroxois, will begin soon, giving the Greek passports to Albanian citizens of Greek descent, who have applied for years. The decision is taken, after Athens, has used all diplomatic sources to have to Tirana, the same wavelength, particularly in geopolitical matters, particularly Kosovo. In his statement, the Greek Foreign Minister Stavros Dimas, noted, that Tirana, continues to show towards Greece, feeling not sincere cooperation, while simultaneously calling for the right to self-determination of the Greek community in Albania.

BERISHA: GREATER ALBANIA, WE LOST TERRITORIES

he Albanian Prime Minister held a meeting with Prishtina University students, in which he argued why he is against the unification of Albania with Kosovo and why both countries would lose, if borders would be changed. “The vital interest of the Albanians is to preserve the current borders, and the Albanians should not accept, at any cost, to lose a single square meter of the land they are entitled to. Another redraw of the borders would mark undeserved losses of the Albanian territories. We must be patient, free, and should not undertake any action that threatens territorial losses. Every generation has to make its duty, and this generation made it”, Berisha declared.

Dimas:"The Greek ethnic Community in Albania has the right of free of charge self-determination"

The reliability of the results of population census in Albania, in terms of minority groups, directly challenging the foreign minister Stavros Dimas, diaminyontas same time that the Respect for human and minority rights is … crucial criterion for the progress of the accession method of our neighbor. In a letter sent to the Home in response to a question from a Member of LA.OS K. Aivaliotis, Dimas says that “the foreign ministry has closely followed all the developments surrounding the census in Albania, even though produced timely plays, both bilateral and European level to make sure the integrity process and unimpeded registration of members of the Greek National Minority, and each location of residence of such ». As outlined, the “Selection of the representatives of the main minority groups, including the Greek National Minority, invite their members to abstain in protest not guaranteed to respect the right of free of charge self-determination, showed a significant deficit of trust minority in the Albanian state, which ought to itself the Albanian government to address priority ».

The Constitutional Court Decision on December 1, the Latter abolished the term Ethnic certificate of Its Citizens. In the Decision, panels argues why the notion of "nationality" is incompatible with the constitution When Its state charter law does not provid a clear definition of Its meaning. In Assessing the Court, "nationality" as defined concept without, unlike Other components of civil law does not Create a link that 'translates the Mutual rights and duties of Natural Persons and state.

While the total population in Himara Municipality, does not exceed 12 thousand inhabitants, a source from the prosecution of Vlora, shows that the problems of ownership at the squirrels region have reached the 7500 court proceedings and special investigations, which marks a world record, by how a country like Albania, could not manage the right of ownership, in one of the areas attacked by the Albanian mafia and international. However, the U.S. Department Report for 2004 on human rights in Albania, states clearly that in the Himara Municipality, the community lands and the Orthodox Church, was robbed by a Courts with false documents, supported by the Office of Propetry Registration in Albania.

Arben Puto: Albania has declared war against Greece first

In his book "The Italian Greek War", Arben Puto, well known historian of the era of dictatorship in Albania, writes that: "In a unanimous decision of the Albanian Parliament on July 15, 1940, was ratified, the Italian Fascist royal decree, which declared all war allies France and Britain, including the USA and Greece. So need to Albanians, to be aware that Greece was not declared war Albania, but Albania, with military battalions that attacked Greece on 28 October 1940 ".

WB returns to Ionian Riviera residence reconstruction

Another World Bank project is being executed with the help of the Albanian authorities for the reconstruction of the residences in Albania’s southern coastline. The 625.000 USD project aims to protect and promote the values of the Albanian national architecture in the Southern part of the country, in order to prevent destruction and abandonment of the traditional houses. “Shqip” newspapers says that the Ministry of Public Works is the WB partner in the “Roofs and Facades” project. The implementation of the program has started in the villages classified as participators: Dhermi i Vjeter, Qeparo i Vjeter, Ilias, Vuno, Himare e Vjeter, Piqeras, Nivice and Luksht. The World Bank will finance 70% of the restauration cost, with a maximum of 7000 USD, while the program “Accommodation and Breakfast” will finance 50 of the restoration cost, with a maximum of 5,000 USD. The program “Roofs and Facades” aims to restore 72 houses in 18 months. 20 of them will adopt with the conditions of modern life, in the framework of the program “Accommodation and Breakfast”.

In Albania, at 20 years post-dictatorship, 8 thousands murders, for the issue of property

The shocking data, are given by the Prosecutor General, to the Albanian press Shocking facts which, in the wake of Albania rank Civil War, the high level of killings, including the year 1997 Through the Albanian press, Attorney General, has published shocking facts about the increasing number of murders in Albania, especially for issues of ownership. Clic on photo ....

Himara 26 centuries, a history of glorious Independence

HIMARA, THE NEXT MONTE CARLO`S IN EPIRUS

First step to Greater Albania: Kosovo Opens First Highway Section

A 38 kilometre-tranche of the road, which will eventually cross the country from the Albanian to Serbian border, was opened on Saturday. The first section, which runs from Vermica on the Albanian border to close to the town of Suhareka, cost 330 million euro. Senior Kosovo and Albania government officials were present at the inauguration ceremony. In a speech, Kosovo’s President Atifete Jahjaga said that the "highway has the role of linking nations and countries". "It is our link with important European corridors. Our coordinated policy will make us a free and equal members of the European Union," she added. Named the "Ibrahim Rugova Highway", after Kosovo's most famous president, the road connects with Albania's first highway, which was also built by the Turkish-American consortium Bechtel-Enka.

George Goro: Registration of properties on the southern coast of Albania faces difficulties

The process of registration of property in southern coastal areas of Albania is getting quite difficult. Mayor George Himara Goro says it has so far only completed the registration of houses and land but not land. Problems with documentation and the implementation of the Land Law difficult, according to him, residents in this process.

The Monument of Independence of Albania, is in hassle

PDIU Cam Community Party, the Socialist Party's local leader in Vlora, and "Red & Black Alliance", are making a nationalistic competition, the Monument of Independence and the Albanian national flag. Few days ago, Prime Minister Sali Berisha, said the establishment of a new monument to the independence of Albania in Tirana, implying, dismiss the historical tradition of Albanian independence in Vlora.

Himarrioton Society of America

The Himarriotans of America, motivated by the love of Himarra, the land of their native origin, and dedicated to the noblest ideals of their forfathers, have established this organization which aspires to the cultivation and preservation of Himarriotic culture in America, to making a positive difference in the lives of its members, and to promoting the rights and interests of the Himarriotans in Himarra, through the realization of patriotic, charitable, philanthropic, educational and cultural endeavors.

Opinion in Kosovo: "Socialists in Albania, are filo Greek"

The Chairman of the Opposition in Albania, Edi Rama, accused by the press in Kosovo that "he is with filo Greek sentiments" If, Sali Berisha, Albania's current prime minister, is expected both in Macedonia and Kosovo, as president of the Albanian nation, this has not happened with the chairman of the opposition in Albania, Edi Rama. During a recent visit to Kosovo, Edi Rama is unpopular, the fact that the perception of public opinion in Kosovo, is that the south, is the area close to Greece, but especially Rama and the Socialist Party, was accused of holding a position filo Greek, against the interests of Greater Albania.